Steam
by Hippo and Friends
Summary: After Crono's resurrection, Crono and Marle realized their feelings for each other. Rated R for nudity and sensuality.


Steam  
  
By Hippo  
  
The cold wind hissed loudly as the girl led her led her two companions up the mountain. The three of them were exhausted, but they, Marle most of all, was determined to reach their destination. Marle and Lucca were beginning to freeze, even while dressed in layers of coats, and Lucca was unsure how much more she could handle. Robo, although with strength beyond that of a human, was beginning to feel his joints freeze, and he was moving slower and slower as the climb progressed.  
  
Lucca and Robo could tell Marle was a changed girl. Her giddy personality and fun-loving antics were gone. Her ever-present smile, which would brighten everyone's day, was now a serious and somber expression on her face. It was true that she was well past her childhood (although she looked the youngest and most childish, despite fact she was the oldest in the group, being a year and a half to Crono's senior), and everyone else had agreed that she desperately needed to grow up, but her unusual melancholy cast a gloom over the entire group.  
  
Marle thought about Crono a lot. She remembered how they met at the fair. She remembered how he showed her around, always letting her to stop to play games or buy candy. She remembered the good time she had because of him. She remembered how he saved her life many times, and how he would always listen to her when she had something to say. No other person had ever done that, not even her father. Crono was the first true friend she ever had.  
  
And now he was gone, killed before her very eyes by a wicked woman's spell. Being the optimistic person that she was, Marle was at first certain Crono was still alive somewhere. But as she was leaving the North Cape, she realized the truth. Crono was dead, and Marle admitted she ignored this awful fact.  
  
Finally, they reached the top of the mountain. While Lucca stopped to catch her breath, and Robo stopped to make sure Lucca was alright, a spark of childhood briefly ignited inside Marle as she impatiently ran to the summit. Now was the time.  
  
"All who fear the night..give us strength!" chanted Marle rather suddenly.  
  
Neither Lucca nor Robo had ever heard Marle say anything this serious before. That was definitely a prayer.  
  
Marle stared at the egg she cradled in her hands, which was doing apparently nothing. Then, suddenly, it rose out of her hands, and then broke into pieces!  
  
"It-it shattered!" cried Marle in disbelief as she collapsed to the ground, overcome with pure grief and despair.  
  
Lucca and Robo knew from the start he would not come back. They climbed the mountain with her anyway, knowing she would never avoid trying. They couldn't bear to let her climbed the mountain by herself.  
  
"Lucca, Robo, I'm sorry," said Marle, in the most serious tone the two of them had ever heard them say. "But I really and truly want to be wherever Crono is right now."  
  
"Or hopes were too high," said Lucca, attempting to console the grieving princess.  
  
"Some things are just meant to be, Miss Marle," added Robo. "But we must be going soon. We cannot survive here. The temperature is well below freezing point."  
  
"I'm not going," sobbed Marle.  
  
"Marle, please," replied Lucca, "I know you're hurting inside. We all are. But we all have to die sometime. Crono died heroically to protect us all. The three of use will die, too, sometime. There is no telling when or how it will happen. I was as shocked as you were, but we can't expect everyone to live a long life. It just doesn't work that way."  
  
"I'm not going," repeated Marle, in a more serious tone this time. Lucca and Robo understood she was serious about staying there.  
  
"Marle, you have to come with us!" begged Lucca. "If you don't come with us, you'll freeze to death!"  
  
"If Crono won't come to me, I'll go to him!" cried the young princess.  
  
There was a ghostly time of silence. Lucca and Robo knew her as a care- free, fun-loving tomboy.  
Finally, her two companions understood. She didn't want to live in a world without Crono. Without saying another word, Lucca and Robo sadly turned and began to head down the mountain. They realized there was no way they could convince her to follow them. They realized they would lose another companion. And they realized that Marle loved Crono.  
  
The night dragged slowly on. The temperature began to drop, and Marle began to shiver "I guess this is the end," she sadly muttered. She knew she should have returned with Lucca and Robo when she had the chance. But now it was too late. There was no way Marle could make it down before she froze to death. It was so cold that the tears she cried froze on her cheeks.  
  
All of a sudden the ground began to rumble. Marle believed it was an avalanche, and closed her eyes for what she was certain would be the last time. She was thankful her death would be quick, and she would soon be reunited with Crono at last.  
  
Suddenly, the bitter coldness was gone. At first, Marle would not dare open her eyes, for fear of what she might see, but eventually, she squinted her right eye, and to here surprise, she found frozen statues. Slowly, the realization came to her. She was at that ugly moment of her life. She saw the wicked queen, on the giant beast, and Lucca, Frog, Robo, Ayla, Magus, and herself lying on the ground.  
  
And Crono was there as well. His arms were raised, with an inhuman grimace on his face. It was the moment of his death. It was the precise moment, yet it was frozen like stone. Crono was not dead yet, but in another moment he would be. Marle realized what needed to be done.  
  
*****  
  
The cold sensation embraced Marle once more as she opened her eyes. She was standing on the peak again. The same peak, the same temperature. It was like she had never left that spot. She briefly wondered if she had a dream, but only briefly. For he sat right next to her, motionless at first, but slowly Crono opened his eyes and raised his head. He looked at her, letting her know that he was alive. Alive..  
  
"We...."  
  
Marle was speechless. The man whose death she witnessed right in front of her. He was alive again. His chest rose, he exhaled, and he looked directly at her. She was so happy she could barely speak. She wanted sing and dance all over the mountain, if she wasn't lost in wonder.  
  
"We knew this day would come."  
  
With that, Marle broke down to her knees, with more tears beginning to fall, and freeze, but she no longer cared. They were together again. Marle reached her arms up and through them around Crono's neck.  
  
"I just missed you so much!" exclaimed Marle in a choking sob as she continued to hug her friend.  
  
Although still confused, Crono weakly wrapped his arms around Marle. Whatever happened, he was happy to see her.  
  
He was dressed in spring clothing, on top of a freezing mountain. Anyone could tell he would not be able to live for long in such a state. She had just got him back; she couldn't bear to lose him again. Before she could change her mind, Marle removed her coat and wrapped it around Crono. The mute boy looked at Marle as if to say, "No, don't." But Marle didn't care. Her friend was in trouble. She felt it was her duty to protect him. Of course she knew that the coat wouldn't help much, but it would help keep him alive a little longer. She was well aware of the probability that she would give up her life for him.  
  
"Even if we die here," thought Marle, "I got to spend time with Crono."  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar humming sound. She felt her heart skip a beat. Was that what she thought it was? She looked to her left and squealed with joy.  
  
*****  
  
"You two are very fortunate," said Doan. "If they hadn't found you in time, the two of you would have frozen to death."  
  
Marle, along with Lucca, and even Robo, suddenly wanted to giggle. One of them had already met death before. Lucca could not believe what had happened. She was certain Crono and Marle would be gone for good. And Robo, although a machine, felt an odd but positive sensation when he saw Crono alive again.  
  
"We're okay now, aren't we?" asked Marle.  
  
"Not quite," replied Doan in an ominous tone of voice. "You have been exposed to the bitter cold for too long," he continued, "you might still come down with pneumonia."  
  
"What's pneumonia?" asked Marle, realizing it was not a term from her time.  
  
"It is a terrible sickness," replied the old man, "which we no longer have the proper medicine for."  
  
He didn't need to tell Crono or Marle. Both of them were still shivering. Their skin was ice cold. Their teeth still chattered, and even the blankets they were wrapped in did not do nearly enough to comfort them.  
  
"Is there any place where we can get warm?" asked Marle.  
  
"There's a place at the top of this dome," began the old man. "It is where we treat the cold."  
  
"Will we still shiver later?" asked the princess.  
  
"This room," continued Doan, "is the cleanest room we know of. It is the only room we know of where the machinery still works. Nobody has left this room uncomfortable."  
  
*****  
  
The room was like the tropics; there was mist all around, making it difficult to see, and the humidity was unbelievable. Crono and Marle didn't mind at all, though, since the climate in there was much more pleasing than the peak of what they found as the coldest mountain in the world. The room was surprisingly cleaner than most of the rooms in that era, and it was one of the few rooms where Marle felt she didn't have to worry about the dangers of the world.  
  
"This is so much better!" giggled Marle. She noticed Crono was just as happy to be there, even though she could barely see him.  
  
Suddenly, Marle noticed herself bumping into a piece of concrete. She could tell it was circular, and that there was bubling water inside of it.  
  
The mist was still there, but it was not as thick. Nothing that was not up close could be seen too well, because the mist covered everything that was less than almost five feet above the ground, but Crono and Marle could still notice that the room was a great deal cleaner than almost all of the other rooms they had seen in that era. There was no dirt or dust anywhere, and the walls and floor were not a musty brown. On the contrary, they were white.  
  
Marle reached her hand in, and to her surprise found the water much warmer than the room temperature.  
  
"I get it," she thought to herself. "This is a tub. If we bathe in this, we won't be cold anymore."  
  
"Crono," said Marle out loud, "feel this water. It's warm!"  
  
Crono did so, grinned, and jumped in surprise. Even this room was the arctic compared to the temperature of the tub.  
  
"Crono," continued Marle, "I think we're supposed to bathe in it. I think it warms our bodies."  
  
Just then, Marle noticed the grin disappear from Marle's face. She could tell he was uncomfortable, and she realized why. They certainly couldn't bathe with their close on, and there was no telling how long each would need to use the tub. Marle wasn't sure what to make of the idea of the two of them in a tub together without a strip of clothing on.  
  
"Crono, the water is clean, but cloudy. You can't see anything under it, anyway," assured Marle, to both herself and Crono, trying her best to solve the situation. She knew it wouldn't work, though. Crono almost certainly didn't seem to feel he was close enough to her to do such a thing quite so suddenly. Marle was slightly uncomfortable herself. They were friends, but neither of them was bold enough to disrobe in front of each other. It was quite different, since they were of the opposite gender.  
  
All of a sudden, Marle heard Crono walk s light distance and rustle out of his clothing, and realizing that he was brave enough, she gathered the same courage and pulled off her tunic. She laughed slightly, realizing that Crono was full of surprises.  
  
A quiet splash behind Marle reminded her that she was not alone. She began to feel uncomfortable. Although she had her back turned toward him, preventing either of them from seeing anything, she was beginning to blush.  
  
Still, she wondered what he was thinking. Marle slowly turned her body, making sure she was covered, and saw something she never thought about. Crono was covering his eyes with his hand. Marle felt a lot more comfortable, realizing that he had respect for her privacy. In addition, he was completely hidden by the mist. Marle realized nothing would be wrong if she sat at the opposite end of the tub. Smiling at him, she slipped off her pants and climbed into the tub with him.  
  
Crono removed his hand from his eyes as he heard her climb in. All he could see was her face, and not very clearly. He didn't mind, though, for he, unlike most boys his age, did not look at women lustfully all the time.  
  
Crono looked at Marle as if he was puzzled. He had become more relaxed, but he could tell she wanted to say something. He wondered why she almost gave her life up her life to bring him back.  
  
Marle understood this by the look on his face. She hesitated to say it, for she was unsure how he would feel, but soon realized it was so obvious she just needed to say it.  
  
"I love you, Crono."  
  
She saw his eyes gazing into hers. They were the most beautiful eyes she had seen, and Crono thought the same about hers. She realized that it was those eyes that spoke for him. What was he saying back to her? Was it something she would like? She could only hope so.  
  
"I love you too, Marle," replied Crono.  
  
Marle literally sprang to her feet and almost jumped out of the tub.  
  
"Crono! Y-you talked!"  
  
She had never heard him talk before. And it wasn't a bad voice. On the contrary, it was a pleasant-sounding tenor.  
  
"W-why didn't you talk before?" asked a still-surprised Crono.  
  
"Never had anything to say," Crono replied.  
  
Presently Marle remembered that she hopped up less than a foot in front of Crono, splashing water all over his face. His normally spiky hair was soaked down flat, and Marle was unsure whether to laugh or blush in embarrassment. She did the latter, because she also remembered that she was standing upright, inches in front of Crono, and he could see everything. Gasping in a sensation somewhere between horror, embarrassment, and somehow deep love, Marle quickly turned her back toward him. As she placed her hands over her face, preparing to cry, she suddenly heard Crono rise to his feet. The tears that Marle had been trying to hold back began to stream down her face. Her eyes turned red, and she began to sob.  
  
"Marle, I'm so sorry," begged Crono for forgiveness.  
  
"Don't be," whispered Marle through her chokes and tears. "I'm just so happy I can't think of anything else to do."  
  
"Marle," began Crono, "sometimes actions speak louder than words."  
  
"Crono, what does that-" began a puzzled Marle, but before she could finish, Crono's lips were pressed against hers. she let out an "Oh" in her mind. She understood. She began to kiss back, and placed her delicate hands on Crono's face. The kiss became deeper as Crono placed his hands on Marle's bare back. Marle began to cry again, but once again out of happiness. Of course she was not being silly or foolish. She had made the right decision, and she was happy with it.  
  
Slowly, Marle trailed her kisses off to the left of Crono's mouth. She moved across his cheek to his ear. "Make love to me," she whispered.  
  
Crono nodded. He pulled his love in for another kiss, and a fire of passion ignited in both of their souls.  
  
"You're beautiful, Marle," he whispered.  
  
*****  
  
Marle stood outside the tub. Still unclothed, she had dried herself off. She was rather haunted by the thought of her turning back like Lucca and Robo insisted. Crono would still be dead, and Marle would be spending the rest of her life wondering what her life with him. She had made the right decision, and she was proud of it. She was no longer the tomboyish girl she was when she met Crono. She was now a mature woman, doing what she knew was right.  
  
Marle smiled as Crono approached her. They had become very close, very fast.  
  
"I love you so much, Marle," whispered Crono as Marle turned around and pressed her lips against his.  
  
"Crono," whispered Marle, "I feel so much closer too you that ever before."  
  
"It can only get better, Marle," replied Crono.  
  
"You're, right, Crono, you're right."  
  
With that, Marle suddenly freed herself politely from Crono's gentle grasp. To Crono's curiosity, she walked over to her clothes. She picked up her discarded pants and rummaged through them. To Crono's surprise, she dropped them instead of putting them on, and returned to the spot where Crono stood.  
  
"Crono," she whispered, "I want to make things better."  
  
Crono watched in surprise as Marle kneeled on one knee. She opened her hand, which had been concealing a ring.  
  
"Marry me, Crono."  
  
Crono was shocked. Right in front of him was the woman her loved the most, kneeling with a ring held up to him. She was offering the rest of her life to him. He knew he didn't have to think for long, though. She almost gave her life up to save him. She couldn't live in a world without him. Crono realized that no one loved him the way Marle did.  
  
"There is no other woman I could ever have loved. Marle, of course I'll marry you!"  
  
*****  
  
Sometime later....  
  
The villages were quiet. All of the shops were closed. All of the housed were empty. No children were playing in the streets. The normal chatter heard in every village square was replace by the menacing whisper of the wind. No a person was in sight around most of the country.  
  
This was by no means a somber occasion. The entire country was gathered at the cathedral. They were gathered to witness the wedding of Crono and Marle. Nobody could bear to miss the spectacular event. Lucca was there. So was Frog, Robo, and Ayla. All residents of the castle attended as well. The entire church, consisting of literally thousands of people, cheered loudly as Crono and Marle appeared at the doorway.  
  
Crono was lost in irony. Just one week before, they never knew each other even existed. Now they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. It wasn't that he was unprepared for it, though. He was willing to commit his life to her. Crono kept this in his mind as he began to walk her down the aisle.  
  
Marle was dressed in white. As she walked down the aisle with the love of her life, she almost had to struggle with her emotions. Tears of joy posed such a threat to her eyes that she had to keep her head down with them closed. She didn't mind that at all, though, and the smile everybody loved remained on her face. No person could deny that she was absolutely gorgeous.  
  
There was a third individual approaching the alter as well. It was impossible for anyone to tell, but Marle was carrying their child.  
  
Before they knew it, they were at the door again, greeting my many more well-wishers. Crono and Marle, now husband and wife, looked into each others eyes, both with wide grins on their faces. Crono nodded, and Marle threw her bouquet into the crowd.  
  
Wherever they would go from there, only time would tell.  
  
The End  
  
A.N. I'm sorry there was no sex, but I did have to keep this at an R. 


End file.
